“Obstacles are a sign from the Almighty”: refugees spoke about the complete closure of the border with Finland

On the night of November 30, Finland, as promised, closes its last border crossing into the Russian Federation, Raia-Jooseppi. On the Russian side this is the Lotta checkpoint. But this most extreme window to Europe in all senses, located beyond the Arctic Circle, unlike its five brothers closed since November 18, is not mourned either on this or that side of the Russian-Finnish border. And even Middle Eastern refugees, because of whose desire to get to the EU through the Russian Federation, everything happened, are calm

“I’m tired, the battle is over, I’m taking port, I’m going home,” sings Abdulsaid, a student from Baghdad. – That’s it, our people have left Salla.

“Salla” is a Russian-Finnish border checkpoint lost in the snow of the Murmansk region, which before the closure of others was used only by trucks and local hunters on skis. But for some Middle Eastern refugees yearning for Eurolife, Salla became the place where they said goodbye to this idea. Although the authorities of the nearby Russian village of Alakkurti even set up a heated camp for the unfortunate frozen southerners not far from the checkpoint.

Abdulsaid, a student of Russian language and literature, knows very well the algorithm for the “mysterious appearance” of residents of hot Middle Eastern countries at the northernmost borders of the Russian Federation. In the case of Abdulsaid’s fellow countrymen, they were “blessed” with a package tour to Russia for 5 thousand euros with the included “window to Europe” by their native Baghdad travel agency.

“Although they are not involved in ordinary tourism,” the Iraqi student clarifies. – And no one in our country has money for regular tourism. And they save for years to move to Europe. And they trust these intermediaries, since many managed to move to the EU through them.

– Did you want it too?

– No, I want to stay in Russia, if possible. But my girlfriend is Russian. And those Iraqis who already have children believe that their children will have a better future in Europe. And for this they sacrifice their comfort.

According to Abdulsaid, some also managed to cross to the Finnish side through Sallu on November 28, but then the checkpoint’s opening hours ended and the officer said that no one else would be allowed in.

“Not today, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow,” adds the Baghdadi. – And from November 30, “Lotta” will close. Temporarily, as they say. But I know fellow countrymen who have changed their minds about asking for asylum in the EU.

– Why?

– It’s too cold, and then, if Allah gives a sign three times that it’s better not to go somewhere, “blocking” the path with obstacles, then it’s really better not to try.

When asked why they chose Russia to cross into a happy European life, both Abdulsaid, on behalf of the Iraqis, and his fellow student Ali from Herat, Afghanistan, unanimously answer: it’s not so easy to get to the EU from anywhere else.

“According to the law, if you ask for asylum, the border guards are obliged to let you into the EU territory even without documents at all,” says Ali, “but only in the case of a land crossing.” And they are required to consider the application even without documents. And of all the countries bordering the EU, the countries in the Middle East are the easiest to get to Russia. Russia gives us study visas and invitations to events, but others do not.

Meanwhile, there is discussion on both sides of the closed land border that the first checkpoint could reopen as early as December 13th.

“Now they will get rid of “velomigration” and refugee camps under the barrier and open,” says Yuri from the Leningrad region. – The Finns at the border are very unhappy: gasoline, vodka, firewood, cheap honey and eggs from our grannies – everything is gone. But you can’t just hide what people need! Freight trains pass through the Vainikkala crossing, you give money to the lineman – and in a warm trailer all the way to Finland.

Those who live between the Russian Federation and Suomi due to residence permits, family and work relationships are not particularly upset: they have already looked at an alternative route through Estonia (to Tallinn by bus, from there to Helsinki by sea) However, the other day, they were installing concrete blocks at the Ivangorod checkpoint -Narva, the Estonian authorities threatened to close it forever (now it works, but in a limited manner). In this case, the resilient Russian lovers of Suomi are threatening to fly to the Finns who have closed themselves off from them through Istanbul. But “bicycle migrants” say that out of about a hundred people who were waiting for the window of Middle Eastern refugees that never opened to Europe, 80% have changed their minds about going and now intend to ask for asylum from Russia.